Acupuncture For Anxiety And Panic Attacks And Alternative Treatment

Acupuncture for Anxiety

Acupuncture for Anxiety

Question: Can Acupuncture Help in Reducing Anxiety and Stress?

The answer is a very resounding “yes” when asked whether acupuncture is useful. But true indeed because acupuncture for anxiety is very common among community mental health clinics.
It is a very helpful treatment and acupuncture in anxiety disorder has been proven to be truly effective.

Anxiety attacks or panic attacks are a serious health problem and affect approximately 20% of the adult American population. Out of the 60 million Americans prone to develop anxiety attacks about 3 million suffer from full blown anxiety attack symptoms, which if not managed effectively can result in serious consequences on health.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that men are twice as prone as women to develop an anxiety or panic attack. Increasing competition, stress and changing work cultures are responsible for these anxiety attacks in men. Treating anxiety attack is crucial as it tends to interfere with the ability of social interaction abilities of a person.

What Causes Stress And Anxiety Disorders?

Though it is difficult to identify the exact cause of panic attacks or anxiety disorders, the symptoms are often related to social stressors and emotional symptoms. Here are some common causes identified,

  • Nutritional deficiencies namely deficiency of zinc and magnesium have been considered to play a crucial role in panic disorders
  • Individuals belonging to ethnic minorities are more prone to develop anxiety disorders due to the social structure and stratification of the society compared to others
  • Childhood abuse is often considered to be closely associated with anxiety disorders in men especially if the individual was abuse physically or sexually as a child
  • Stress is a crucial factor responsible for anxiety attacks in most men.

Anxiety And Panic Attack Symptoms

An anxiety attack may last for about five to ten minutes and is associated with a host of symptoms which include,

  • Palpitations or increase in heart rate with chest pain.
  • Gastric upset with anxiety diarrhea.
  • Lightheadedness with nausea and dizziness.
  • Difficulty in breathing with a sensation as if being smothered.
  • Trembling and shaking of the body.
  • Perceptual distortion and dreamlike sensation.
  • Fear and terror with a need to escape along with a fear of dying.

Acupuncture Therapy For Stress And Anxiety

  • Acupuncture for anxiety has always been considered as one of the natural techniques of treating anxiety disorders. Because most treatments would require different kinds of drugs in the treatment, people have resorted to acupuncture herbal medicine and the power of the acupuncture needles to treat the condition.
  • People believed in the connection of the mind and body being inseparable and that acupuncture for depression anxiety, acupuncture for post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, or acupuncture for obsessive compulsive disorder would be greatly helped by balancing the yin organs of the body. Imbalance in these five organs is what causes the emotions to break down leading to these emotional disorders. Relaxing will help you get back the emotions and acupuncture is just the way to be able to “unwind.”
  • Acupuncture for anxiety does not only help in general and chronic anxiety disorders but acupuncture in panic attacks is also helpful and effective. Balancing the yin and the yang of the body has a lot to do in achieving harmony within the body.

Alternative Treatment For Anxiety And Panic Attacks

  • What the Chinese and Europeans have discovered is the combination of the mind and body, particularly the ear or what is called auricular acupuncture to reduce pain and stress, the two causes of general anxiety disorders. Stimulating the ear acupoints alone have greatly relieved the body of stress and pain by keeping the patients relaxed and peaceful.
  • Psychotherapy is considered effective in management of anxiety disorders in men. Psychotherapy helps the individual to come to terms with his fears and also aids them in coping up with the condition. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most effective psychotherapy technique to manage anxiety attacks.
  • Yoga and Meditation are two techniques that help declutter the mind and allow an individual to think clearly. This in turn is considered to be very beneficial in management of anxiety
  • Certain foods act as mood foods which elevate the levels of serotonin in the blood and reduce frequency of anxiety attack in men. Milk and dairy products, fresh fruits and Vegetables are considered beneficial
  • Regular exercise is also considered to elevate the levels of serotonin and help in management of anxiety.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.